


Sodapop’s Birthday

by lettuce172



Category: The Outsiders - S. E. Hinton
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-13 19:07:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29655924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lettuce172/pseuds/lettuce172
Summary: On Soda’s birthday, he gets the long awaited present his parents had been making all through his life.
Kudos: 7





	Sodapop’s Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> He’s turning 18 in here and you can’t stop it.

It couldn’t have been past six when I was woken up by the front door slamming shut. A sigh came from the kitchen belonging to Darry. I hopped out of bed, not worrying about changing just yet. “Roll your eyes a little louder big bro, I almost couldn’t hear it from my bedroom,” I joked with Darry as I walked in the kitchen. 

“Yeah, yeah, sorry lil bro,” he half-apologized with a smile. “Whatcha doin’ up so early anyways, huh Sodapop?” Darry asked. Usually on my birthday I sleep in. I sleep in pretty late. I glanced at the time. Five forty-eight. It was still dark out. 

I let out a yawn. “Heard the door. Who came in anyways?” Before Darry got the chance to answer, Steve was behind him. He had two fingers up behind Darry’s head. Bunny ears, classic. I cracked a grin, I had to. “Hiya Stevie.”

“Hey Sodapop,” Steve said with a smile, moving away from Darry. “So I heard it’s someone’s birthday, you hear anything about that Soda?” He came over to me. “Hmm, if only I knew who’s birthday it was,” he commented, a joking tone clear in his voice. 

Deciding to play into it, I said, “Hm, is it your birthday Steve? Nah, it can’t be.” I thought out loud for a bit, listing off everyone’s birthday. I finally got to mine. “Gee Steve, it’s my birthday ain’t it!” Steve faked a gasp. 

“Well happy birthday man! I had no clue!” He widened his eyes. It fell quiet for a few seconds while we tried to hold back our smiles. I burst out laughing, shortly followed by Steve. “Really though, happy birthday Soda,” Steve said after we calmed. 

Darry just gave us both a smile, “Yep, turnin’ to the big eighteen this year aren’t ya?” he asked playfully, messing up my hair as he did. I hadn’t really thought about the fact I was technically an adult as of today. What would even change? I didn’t have much of a plan for my future and I didn’t have Sandy to start a family with anymore. Honestly, I don’t think I’m ready for it, but I know I’ve still got time here to figure it all out. Even if I don’t make a plan, going with the flow can’t be terrible. 

I tried to see a reflection of myself in the window, which didn’t work out too great, but it was good enough. “Eighteen and rockin’ a new hairstyle aren’t I?” I laughed, looking at what Darry had done to my already messy hair. The other two laughed along with me, which I honestly wasn’t expecting. I wasn’t really trying to get them to laugh, but if it works it works. I had started to fix it up when Steve grabbed my forearm. 

“Whatcha doin’? I think you should keep it. Represents you, ya dig? Y’know, real wild,” he said with a grin. 

I chuckled. “Wild huh? I don’t think I look wild right now buddy. I just look, I don’t know, dirty? Nah, that ain’t it, just messy.” I kept fixing it, but every single time it would pop up in a different spot. I knew I could just fix it later while I was getting ready though, so it’s okay. “Kay, well I’m gonna go get ready okay? I’ll be back in a little.”

I didn’t take long, but now I was showered, dressed, and had my hair greased back so nothing was sticking out. I did get a little held up by Pony getting ready, but it wasn’t too bad. I didn’t really have to get ready, it was my day off from work, but I figured I shouldn’t go around the house with bed head all day. It was a Sunday too, so that meant all of us were out of work and school for the day. 

The day went by pretty fast at first, and by now it was a little after noon. Almost everyone had shown up and stuck around, but we still didn’t know where Dally was. We knew he was going to stop by, but he never actually said when he would. Johnny said he saw Dallas earlier, so yeah, he was around. All we had to do was wait. 

About half an hour later, the door opened and closed and Dally walked in. “Hey Dal! Where ya been man?” I asked, putting on a bright smile. He just shrugged. Whatever, he didn’t have to say it. He came in the house, sitting down next to Johnny. Johnny gave me an apologetic look, probably because of Dally. All I did was smile. 

The rest of the day went on smoothly, I got some more happy birthday wishes but other than that we were all just hanging around and having a good time. Honestly it’s the best I could’ve asked for this year. We had all just finished dinner, and decided it was time for gifts. I was expecting what I got every year, some clothes or something else I could use everyday. 

Most of what I got was the normal. Until we got to the last gift. Darry handed it to me, so I assumed it was from him, but it was tagged as ‘From: Mom & Dad For: Sodapop’. I froze. It was even in mom’s handwriting. My eyes slowly moved up to look at Darry. How long had he had this?

“Go on Soda, open it. It’s your eighteenth birthday present, they did it for me too,” Darry spoke softly, giving me a small smile. I nodded, opening the box. There was a small pile of photos, all clipped together in one corner. There was seventeen in it, and I looked through every one of them. I didn’t recognize the first four, but after that everything made sense. 

Each picture was me. They were in all sorts of different places but mainly in the house. They were all me on my birthday, one picture per year. All the way from when I was born to when I was finally an adult. Except for this year. I know my mom and dad didn’t take all of these, I think Darry was the one that took the other pictures, but I can’t remember for sure. 

“C’mon Soda, we gotta get year eighteen otherwise it just won’t make as much sense,” Darry said, motioning me over to him so he could snap a picture. I went with him, letting him take it. He did and went to get it connected to the others. I watched, and when he was done, I pulled him into a hug. I knew he was keeping this up for our parents and for me. I knew he didn’t have to do it, but he did. 

It took him a second, but he hugged back. “Thanks Darry,” I mumbled to him. He nodded. We stayed there like that for a while, until Darry let go and stepped back. I took the pictures, looking them over again, and brought them to my room. Gosh, it was almost like I could cry. It was just real sweet of him. I’ll have to find out something even better for him in January. 


End file.
